11 Video Game Adaptations That Were Great And 9 That Worked Way Better As Games

Don't ever play yourself.

I’m a big gamer who also loves watching films, and when these two worlds collide it can be amazing... Or completely disastrous.

Midway

Here are some films adapted from video games that really got it right, and some that, in my opinion, managed to miss the mark.

🚨 You're about to see A LOT of spoilers, so if you haven't seen these films yet, feel free to scroll by! 🚨

Let's start with the movies that did the video games justice:

1. Mortal Kombat (2021)

Warner Bros. Pictures

I probably shouldn't have been playing this game at, like, eight years old, but I was playing with my dad and it was just too exciting! Mortal Kombat (the film) was really entertaining — the first seven minutes of it had some of the best fighting scenes I've ever seen in any film. Considering all of the classic Mortal Kombat Easter eggs alone, this is essential watching for any fan of the games.

Personal Highlight: Scorpion screaming “Get over here” and the MK theme music kicking in was amazinggg.

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2. Silent Hill (2006)

Alliance Atlantis

The original Playstation game was pretty terrifying already, but the actual film is just nightmarish. After accidentally watching about twenty minutes when I was 11, I can assure you that Silent Hill is a stressful watch. From the pyramid scene to the nurses, you really don't want to watch this alone (especially if you're 11). I've since watched the whole film (in tears) and I can honestly say that as far as video game adaptions go, it was a definite success.

Personal Highlight: Any time Pyramid Head wasn’t on-screen.  

3. Sonic The Hedgehog

Paramount Pictures

I’m usually wary of video game adaptations, so when I heard Sonic the Hedgehog was coming out, I was worried. We all remember the teeth controversy... But thankfully the studio listened to the fans, cleaned it up, and overall made a very good film. With one of the highest ratings on Rotten Tomatoes for video game adaptations, Sonic blended game and film seamlessly. Jim Carrey as Dr. Robitnik seemed wrong to me at the time, but he ended up being perfect for the role. 

Personal Highlight: Dr. Robotnik’s dancing, which I imagine Jim Carrey entirely improvised.  

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4. Streetfighter (1994)

Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International

A game that I have played for years and one that everyone loves. Street Fighter is a classic and one that you should all watch – Kylie Minogue is in it!! I think this worked because it didn’t try to overcomplicate the plot (a pattern you’re likely to see emerge in the less successful films). Street Fighter is more symbolic of a specific era of cinema, so it deserves its place here. Can you guess who Kylie plays?

Personal Highlight: That final fight scene where Guile takes Bison down.

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5. Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Everyone LOVES Pokémon, and everyone has played the games before – they’re an essential part of our childhood. Following on from the recent live-action wave, Detective Pikachu managed to once again catch (ahem) the public’s love for all things Pokémon. Mr Mime’s charades act was amazing and let’s be honest, once we knew Ryan Reynolds would be in it, we should have known it would be brilliant. I mean look at that dancing Pikachu.

 Personal Highlight: Any time a Pokémon came on screen.  

6. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

Paramount Pictures

Angelina Jolie is amazing and I think we all know she carried this series. The plot wasn’t great but it had some impressive action scenes that dragged the film along. For a game adaptation, it’s impressive, and have I mentioned how good Angelina Jolie is in this?

 Personal Highlight: Angelina Jolie’s artistic take on an English accent.

7. Tomb Raider (2018)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Another Tomb Raider, but I feel like this could have been based on an entirely different game. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know it’s visually stunning and the best-looking on this list. It’s clear to me that whoever made the movie really did their homework because it is full of Easter eggs and references to the game. Even without the game, Tomb Raider is a fast-paced and exciting watch.

 Personal Highlight: The set and special effects, which easily rival most big-budget films.  

8. Super Mario Bros. (1993)

Buena Vista Pictures

I still can’t beat the original Super Mario Bros. game and I don’t actually know anyone who's completed it. This was the original video game movie – the one that started it all. I mean, it’s not a good film, but it’s iconic and laid the foundations for the rest to follow. Look, being the first is tough and so I have to cut this film some slack. Plus watching it back now, it’s got some vintage funny appeal going on.

Personal Highlight: Those weird, weird-looking Goombas.

9. Doom (2005)

Universal Pictures

The Doom games are literally one of the best-loved series out there, so it’s always difficult to get that across to viewers. After the more recent Doom film, which failed in almost every conceivable way, I'm sure we can all agree that this version has gone up in status.

Personal Highlight- When it switched to an FPS. Beautiful.

10. Mortal Kombat (1995)

New Line Cinema

To be honest, I struggled to watch this when I was younger. Mainly because the graphics looked so bad. But actually, that's all part of the allure. The dialogue is cheesy, acting laughable, and the effects kinda look like they were made on PowerPoint. But it’s weirdly one of the best. Maybe it’s because it was an early entry, or maybe because I just like the game. Also, it didn’t try to overcomplicate things, a mistake that others have made.

Personal Highlight: Shang Tsung shouting "Flawless Victory" (followed by me shouting it constantly).

11. Resident Evil (2002)

Pathé Distribution

We all remember playing these games at home or in the arcade, so the film was always going to be welcome. It’s by far the best in the genre and pretty much as good as you’re going to get with a videogame adaptation. Need I say anymore?

 Personal Highlight: Milla Jovovich is the queen of videogame adaptations and she stakes her claim here.

And now for some films that should've just stayed on the consoles...

12. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2010)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

I’d played the Prince of Persia games on every console, so when this film came out I was ready. The cast looked formidable and the central idea of the game should have translated well onto the big screen. Yeah, it really didn’t. It at least looks better than most other video game adaptations on the list, but casting Jake Gyllenhaal, Alfred Molina, and Ben Kingsley as Persians doesn’t go down too well. Definitely should have stayed a game.

 Personal Highlight: The use of the dagger and going back in time was pretty cool.  

13. Assassin's Creed (2016)

20th Century Fox

It’s quite difficult for a videogame adaptation to be genuinely compelling. Assassin's Creed is honestly one of my favourite games on the list, and so I thought the film might work. Impressive visuals can only do so much, so even for a fan of the games, it’s poor. If you looked at the cast, I’m sure you’d expect much better.

 Personal Highlight: The parkour-style movement of characters felt like it was straight from the game.  

14. Hitman (2007)

20th Century Fox

I’ve only played one of the games so I wasn’t expecting the Hitman to be my favourite. And it wasn’t. I thought the fight scenes were well worth watching, but I just didn’t really get the plot. It’s like Bourne without the story really. Ironically, Hitman was anything but a hit.

Personal Highlight: Charles Xavier killing everyone.

15. Warcraft (2016)

Universal Pictures

Now, I haven’t actually played these games, but I do hear about them a lot. As a neutral, Warcraft was visually impressive with a fairly decent story. The world that exists within the game is already pretty immersive, so I’m not too sure this film was even needed. The dialogue is far too clichéd and there are just wayyyy too many characters competing for screen time.

Personal Highlight: The visuals. I think it's the best use of CGI of any video-game adaptation so far.  

16. Need For Speed (2014)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

I’ve played the game and it’s okay, but not a personal fave. We all know that racing games don’t generally have a whole lot of plot around them, so it’s nice to see they translated that onto the film. I was impressed with the cast but it’s loooong – and not in a good way. I feel like they took the worst parts of Fast and Furious and made this. You’ll definitely want to avoid this one.

17. Rampage (2018)

Warner Bros. Pictures

The game wasn’t particularly amazing, so they did well to make a film out of the source material. The status of the game doesn’t compensate for the ridiculous plot, but the action scenes are fun to watch. Still, Rampage is proof that The Rock can’t save everything.

 Personal Highlight: Negan saving Chicago.  

18. Monster Hunter (2020)

Screen Gems

I’m relatively new to these games but they’re really fun – who doesn’t love little cat companions? As Monster Hunter is fairly recent, we’re blessed with amazing CGI and action scenes. Nice to look at, but that’s as far as it goes. Stick with the game.

Personal Highlight: Tony Jaa is always a win.  

19. DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)

Dimension Films

Should definitely have just stayed a game. The only film that I’ve seen on here that was actually painful to watch. I don’t even want to talk about it. 

What's your favourite videogame movie adaptation? Tell us in the comments!